Dog Paw

　　Q: What’s so special about dog paws? Don’t they all look the same?

　　A: Yes, whether you look left or right, up or down, they are all dog paws. That’s because the skeletal structure of dog feet is basically the same, and also because we haven’t carefully observed and compared them. Even from the exterior, differences can be seen. Some dogs have round, arched paws with four toes tightly curled, resembling cat paws; we call these cat-type paws. Some dogs have slightly longer paws, with the middle two toes protruding, like rabbit feet, called rabbit-type paws. Did you know some dogs have webbing between their toes like a duck’s foot? This makes them excellent swimmers, although we can’t call them duck-type feet because their shape doesn’t actually look like duck feet. Also, some dogs have large, thick paws like they’re wearing double snow boots, with lots of protective hair growing between their toes and pads.

　　Different foot shapes come from variations in their growing environments and work styles, as well as human aesthetic breeding. It’s said that each region produces its own kind of foot.

　　Q: All dogs have five toes in front and four behind; dewclaws are vestigial toes and can be removed or not.

　　A: If you change “all” to “most,” it’s accurate. Some dogs are born with dewclaws on their hind legs, usually due to poor genetics. These are truly vestigial and have little practical value, so they can be removed. Dewclaw removal is generally done within 10 days after birth and is a simple surgical procedure. The purpose of this surgery is to prevent future injury caused by dewclaws, as well as pain from overly developed dewclaws embedding into the limbs. Some also remove them for aesthetic reasons, since a pair of slender straight legs might look disrupted by dewclaws.

　　In professional dog shows, not all dogs are required to have dewclaws removed; there are distinctions of “must remove,” “can remove,” and “must not remove.” For example, Great Pyrenees and Anatolian Shepherds can have two dewclaws on a hind leg. The former must keep them, while the latter allows removal.

　　Dogs Accepted with Outward ‘Pigeon Toe’ Defects

Beijing Dog, Bulldog, Cairn Terrier, Dandie Dinmont, Scottish Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, West Highland White Terrier, Welsh Corgi (Cardigan), Dachshund

Note: The degree of outward turn allowed varies among these dogs and cannot be generalized. For example, Staffordshire Bull Terriers are allowed fully splayed paws, while Dandie Dinmonts only permit very slight outward turning.

　　Q: Dogs can naturally wear down their nails while walking, so trimming isn’t necessary. Besides, how would they walk without nails?

　　A: Dogs are no longer wild animals. They have no need to constantly exert themselves to survive. The nails they wear down through normal play are insufficient to offset nail growth, so nail trimming is necessary. Some owners never trim their dogs’ nails year after year, causing nail cracking and splitting, which is very painful for the dog. Besides, dogs walk on their pads, not their nails. Having 16 long nails is a burden on walking, and over time can cause the foot to become flat. Add slippery floors and loose toes, and the dog may develop an outward pigeon-toed gait and abnormal walking.